Blue Skies
by Entrance Denied
Summary: Why does everything important have to happen at once? With the sudden revelation of information regarding his estranged brother, provided of all things by the creepy Chemistry teacher, and the reappearance of his self proclaimed rival after an unexplained 3 year absence, Sasuke has his hands full this year and what is that irritating secret Naruto insists on keeping? SasuNaru AU
1. Uzumaki Naruto

_AN: Ah, finally I have finished editting this enough that I'm happy to post and I have a couple more chapters to cushion the possibility of late updates. I hope you guys enjoy this!  
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_Just a note worth making, all news regarding this fic will be posted on my profile so please head on over there if you want to know what's going on at any given time. Any news I post there will be dated so hopefully everyone will be 'in the know' as it were._

_Warnings: SasuNaru, AU, Sasuke first person POV (I've tried to make Sasuke as IC as possible - it's not too difficult when you work in the profession I do XD)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto._

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**1: Uzumaki Naruto**

I guess most people would call it a bad day, I would call it a bad life.

The days are irrelevant, passing in a haze of monotonous repetition. Wake up, eat breakfast, go to school, avoid everyone, come home, study, sleep, repeat. It's the underlying taint that makes it a bad life, the thrum that passes through every waking moment, the thoughts that continue to swirl through my mind like water filled with scum because of what's happened to me, despite the years that have passed…

Every day is the same.

I suppose subtle disruptions can make a particular day slightly more unbearable if you're so caught up with the transient presence. I suppose the fact that the sun is shining directly into my eyes as I leave the house for school could put me in a slightly less amiable mood than usual but it changes nothing.

Itachi is still out there, doing as he pleases.

And I'm stuck in this repetitive farce, continuing to stagnate in this endless sea of irrelevance while he proceeds to drift further and further away from me.

My brows furrow as I shove the front door closed behind me and slip my hand into my satchel to pull out my headphones. Though my wayward brother is never very far from my thoughts, it's unusual for him to be sitting so prominently in my mind, taunting me with his continued existence and making me wish I could just succumb to anger and hatred balling inside me, ditch my life here in Konoha and pursue him relentlessly until he's finally dead.

_Dead._

I know that as a 16 year old high school student, orchestrating a murder should be one of the farthest things from my mind. The idea alone is enough to commit me to a mental asylum but I can't help it, not after what happened.

_Not after I found him standing above them with those cold, dead eyes, the same eyes as my mother just devoid of life of hope…_

_Except her eyes are just as dull as his now because she was d-covered in blood and oh God the sten-_

"Sasuke."

I feel a hand on my shoulder and wince as I jerk involuntarily and accidentally get a burning eyeful of the sun. As I flinch away from the incessant brightness, a long lock black hair sweeps across my face to offer some blessed shade. I glare at Kakashi, my eyes popping with little dancing black spots.

Kakashi merely smiles disarmingly, something he tends to do when he finds me brooding. It's somewhat infuriating.

Kakashi Hatake is the Literature Professor at my high school and just so happens to be my current guardian. It's obvious that we're not related, his silver hair, the slightly drooping set to his eyes, the healthy skin complexion are a dramatic contrast to my ebony hair, slighter stature and translucent skin tone. Our marked differences in appearance are the main reason I never catch a ride to school with him though the incident that rendered me homeless is hardly a state secret. I don't like to be reminded of the whole thing anymore than I need to be.

Well…that and despite how bad it might be, I value my life.

"It's a little early to be spacing out, don't you think?" Kakashi offers me pleasantly as he stretches and picks up his documents for the day, turning to lock the door to the house before walking with me to the end of the drive. "If you're feeling a little off this morning, I could always give you a ride."

He makes this suggestion every morning before school. Irrelevant repetition. I fix him with the usual cold gaze.

"No," I say pronouncedly and turn right, stalking forward at my usual languid pace.

Kakashi follows this with his usual shrug and proceeds to complete his own morning ritual with that death trap of a car of his.

There are only a few times in my life I've ever willingly taken a seat in that monstrosity of a vehicle, a mangled Ford Fiesta with a mis-matching door and a disconcertingly loud engine and every time I've actually ridden in that thing, I've been convinced that the piece of junk is only held together by gum and the collective will of everyone inside it.

I've often tried to persuade Kakashi to get a better car but he'll never abandon that thing.

It was a present from Obito after all so I guess I understand.

It just doesn't mean I have to approve.

I purposefully take the long way to school to avoid watching Kakashi make his way through the traffic jams, waving amicably every time he stops or passes me and as I start to lose myself in the dulcet tones of my mp3 player, I'm only vaguely aware as students wearing the same uniform as me are starting to pop up along my route. Most of them are the younger kids, eager to get to school but some of them are from my year, my class even and here's where we hit the possible next petty point for making this day slightly more unbearable than usual.

Normally students favour the direct route so I'm spared trying to make conversation with people I hardly care about but this morning I can already see Sakura and Ino walking together on the opposite pavement, their hair making a far too vivid imprint on my already sensitive eyes.

I stifle a groan and try to surreptitiously increase my walking pace before they see I'm there. Of course, I have no luck.

"Sasuke!"

My left eyebrow twitches but I don't turn to face them, not wanting to invite more conversation than is absolutely necessary. I'm positive that behaviour like this is supposed to put people off from wanting to associate with you and it works wonderfully with the male populace of my school, but weirdly enough, the more hostility I radiate, the more these girls throw themselves at me.

It's as off-putting as hell.

Both girls wait as a silver car flashes past and then dart across the road like well-practiced ninjas, boxing me in on either side so there's no means of escape. Both of them flash me a brilliant smile and I cringe slightly, reacting to them the same way I reacted to the sunlight on my face this morning.

"Oh Sasuke, did you have a good summer?" Sakura asks me, blushing as I glance in her direction. Her eyes hold mine for about half a second before flitting away to look at something endlessly interesting on the pavement before us. One of her fingers is twined in a length of soft pink hair. How she expects to keep my attention when she can't even hold eye contact is beyond me.

"Hn," I grunt by the way of a non-committal response.

It's the first day of the school year today so I should be expecting that question a lot. There's not much I can say really other than I managed to hole myself up with my self defence teacher for 6 weeks without Kakashi kicking up a fuss but I don't really like reminding people that I live with Kakashi for reasons previously outlined. As far as it can be said, I had a good summer. I made a lot of progress in my self defence studies so when I finally encounter Itachi…

"It's always weird coming back to school isn't it?" Ino comments, flashing me a smile as I let my head roll around to face her.

"Don't you just wish that the summer would last forever?"

I keep my face arrantly blank though inwardly I'm letting out a derisive snort. The summer months with the uncommonly hot weather make training particularly gruelling and with the sun constantly in my eyes, I often get headaches related to eye strain. Sure, I want the summer to last forever.

I open my mouth to say something derogatory, hoping to put them both off from speaking further but Ino cuts across the first forming syllable, her face twisting into a mask of indignant fury.

"What are you glaring at Billboard Brow?"

I can actually feel as Sakura's hackles raise behind me and resign myself to what's about to happen.

"Hey, I was having a nice conversation with Sasuke before you had to butt in," Sakura jabs back heatedly. "I'm glaring at your ugly face Ino-pig!"

"You're just jealous because I didn't put on any weight over the summer!"

When did this become an argument about weight?

"Any weight I've put on has gone straight to my chest, you _obviously _can't say the same."

Did that even make sense?

"Ha! You wish, it's gone straight to your _forehead _Billboard Brow!"

I take a particularly large stride forward as the girls begin bickering in earnest and speed up, desperate to put some distance between us. The school gates loom before me, carrying the intrinsic dread of having to start another school year with them. I've never had trouble with the academic side of school, if anything, the material is so easy it borders on dull sometimes so for me, the dread associated with those school gates is not to do with that. My dread is more to do with having to socialise with my useless classmates.

I've been with the same peers since the incident happened all those years ago and, though I have no idea what I was expecting, none of them seemed to…

Well…

Forget it.

The point is that they're all useless, a waste of space, not worthy of the effort I have to expel to interact with them. They are all, without fail, caught up in the irrelevant monotonousness of their own meaningless lives and it drives home just how predictable my own life has gotten, how unprepared I really am to progress with my life's ambition.

Resignedly, I trudge through the school gates and rummage through my satchel to pull out my schedule, irritation flaring in my gut as I pass over my form tutor's name - Kakashi Hatake - to the room number. As 6th formers, we gain a few perks this year, like a common room complete with stereo and kitchenette. The form rooms are located around the common room in a building set aside exclusively for 6th form study so it's a room that I've never been in before.

Familiar faces start to make up the crowd as we break away from the main student body, ambling towards the building set on the edge of the school grounds. Nobody seems to have changed over the summer, a few of them might have gotten a little taller.

When I finally reach the classroom with only a few minutes to spare, I find it completely unsurprising that Kakashi isn't there. He has a notorious habit of being late to everything even going so far as to miss a few lessons completely. People used to speculate about what he could be doing to make him so late (including a far-fetched story about him having wild sex with the General Studies teacher, Iruka Umino) but after a while, people stopped caring.

Living with the man, I happen to know that he has an addiction to some rather unwholesome books and once he gets engrossed…

I take my seat at the back of the class by the window as usual and no-one complains. The only point in my classmates' favour is that they don't have qualms about where to sit because we've all been together so long. I let my eyes roam nonchalantly around the room, taking in the familiar faces and watching reunions. The only person I can truly sympathise with in this class is Shikamaru Nara, whose sleeping at the front of the class without a care in the world.

It's almost 20 minutes past the hour when Kakashi sticks his head round the door and I find myself scowling at him disapprovingly despite the fact that in the school environment, I have no power over him.

He is probably the only person on Earth unaffected by the power of my full force glare.

"Yo," he greets in a friendly tone, shuffling forward and dropping straight into the swivel chair behind the teacher's desk.

"Sorry I'm late but I was busy stopping a purse thief from stealing an old lady's bag on the way to school this morning."

The class, as one, blink disdainfully. Over the years, we've gotten used to Kakashi's late excuses and most of the others are no longer enthralled with his more creative tales.

"Uh…sir, your car's been in the car park since I got here at 10 to," Kiba Inuzuka pipes up, smiling smugly at Kakashi. Kakashi, however, is rather admirably unperturbed by this revelation.

"Just because I arrived at the building on time doesn't mean I didn't see a heinous crime taking place and, as the good citizen I am, decided to help out even though I knew it would make me late to greet my new precious 6th form class. You could learn a thing or two from my inspiring example of courageous integrity Mr Inuzuka."

Kakashi bats his eyelashes at Kiba who recoils.

"Sorry I said anything," Kiba mutters, to the general snickering of the class.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

Insignificant little nuances like this are one of the many things that make this existence so unnecessarily aggravating.

I tune out the rest of the idle banter, letting my eyes move outside to the slowly discolouring leaves indicating the coming Autumn is on its way. I only really start paying attention again when Kakashi's tone changes into something more serious, a slight lowering of his voice that can really only be picked up on when you live in close quarters as we do.

"Now before we get into all that back to school 6th form stuff, I'd like to take the opportunity to welcome a new student to our class."

A ripple of curiosity spreads out over the class. We've all been together since we were small, someone new is bound to stir things up a bit.

"Well, he's not so much a new student as a returning one," Kakashi corrects himself.

And with no more than that, I know who he's talking about.

Even before Kakashi gestures to the door which swings open with such force that it cracks against the back wall, I know exactly who I'll see.

He's been gone for a long time and the difference in his appearance is more pronounced than it is in the rest of my classmates. Last time I saw him, he was a scrawny, scruffy kid with unruly spiky hair and an aggravatingly defiant chin. Though the defiance in the set of his jaw is still there, it's less prominent than it was before though his chin itself is more angular and he's grown though even from here, I can see he's still shorter than me, something that makes me smirk before I can stop myself. He's still skinny but underneath his collared shirt, I can see the defined set of his shoulders and the line of lean muscles pushing the fabric to sit just so. His hair is still unruly and still obnoxiously bright, like the unrelenting sun outside and his eyes are a deeper blue than they were when he disappeared back in year 8, currently ringed with low set dark bruises like he hasn't slept at all since he's been gone. Somewhat surprisingly, he still has the thin whisker-like marks marring both his cheeks in perfect symmetry.

"Class, allow me to re-introduce you to Uzumaki Naruto," Kakashi says in a bored voice.

Naruto.

Naruto, my loud mouthed self-proclaimed rival. The only one in the class dense enough to truly get on my nerves, the only one that insisted on continuing to harass me when I made it clear I don't want anything to do with anyone. I don't need distractions from my revenge against Itachi, especially distractions initiated by a tactless _idiot._

Naruto beams at the class as a few of the guys at the front erupt into chatter and his eyes are so blue it's almost like looking through a set of windows to the ocean.

"Hey guys, what's up? Miss me?" he asks jokingly, like he's been away on a weekend trip rather than AWOL for the last 3 years. I glare pointedly at him as his eyes lock with mine and he scowls openly at me, sticking out his tongue.

I blink.

Did he really just do that?

Just how immature can you-

"Naruto, I don't really think pulling faces at your classmates at this point is going to help you settle back in," Kakashi points out lazily, gesturing to the affronted expressions on some of his classmates faces.

Slowly, Naruto's eyes widen as realisation dawns - idiot, did he forget he was still at the front of the class? - and he retracts his tongue, looking somewhat sheepish for a split second before throwing his arms out, gesturing wildly.

"No, no, you got it all wrong sir! I was just showing my arch-nemesis a proper greeting is all!" He points wildly in my direction and I simply glare back, neither confirming or denying his story. It's moronic to think that he still sees me as his rival after the amount of time that's passed.

Kakashi slowly lets his eyes rove to mine and I can feel my lips thinning. If he makes a big deal out of this, I'll shred every one of his Icha Icha Paradise books, make no mistake.

Kakashi seems to catch my murderous intent and lets his eyes fall back to Naruto who is looking a lot like someone who's aware that they're digging a proverbial hole.

"I suppose it's a little belated to say welcome back if you're already falling into old patterns," Kakashi says dismissively. "Take your seat."

He lets his hand sweep out over the classroom and I feel myself stiffen suddenly in my seat.

If there was truly a contender for making this a particularly 'bad day' it would be this simple fact: there is only one empty chair left in this classroom, an empty chair that I have carefully encouraged to remain empty since I've made it clear to the student body that I want to be left alone. That empty chair is right beside me and has been beside me these past 3 years without fail in every class.

I turn on my full Uchiha charm and death glare Kakashi so hard, I'm surprised he doesn't spontaneously combust.

It takes Naruto a few seconds but eventually, he catches on to the grievous error about to be made in seating arrangements.

"Oh no way Mr Hatake, I'm not sitting next to that bastard all year!" His overused finger flies out in my direction again and I'm able to see the calluses lining the length, carefully not wondering what he's been up to these last 3 years.

Honestly, I thought he'd moved schools, it's not a secret that Naruto was the by far the most hated person at this institution being brutally bullied by most of the guys in our year and some of the guys in higher years too. He disappeared after an altercation with Neji Hyuuga, something I only heard about third hand and assumed he had been moved for his own safety more than anything else.

I make it sound like Konoha High is like some sort of gang school but that's not the case. Naruto's situation is a little special…and he doesn't exactly help himself.

Kakashi sighs audibly, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Naruto, we generally don't swear on school premises as you should know and I'm afraid there are no other seats available."

"Can't you move someone?" Naruto presses anxiously, scanning the room for help but he's met with either scowls or blatant blanking. I suppose I'd feel sorry for him if he was someone else, _anyone _else. After 3 years, you'd think their hatred would have died down a little bit but it seems Naruto's as popular as ever.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Sakura start to raise her hand, her eyes fixed firmly on the chair next to mine and I automatically shift my own chair closer to the window but before she can say anything, Ino has grabbed her wrist, shoving it back down beside her.

"If you even think of leaving me alone to deal with _Naruto _all year, I swear, I'll steal all your P.E equipment so you'll be forced to pick out mismatching stuff from the smelly spares box," she hisses at her companion.

Sakura's face colours unattractively and she keeps quiet too.

"Looks like no-one's willing to move," Kakashi says in a slightly tight voice, a sign that he's growing impatient with the proceedings. "Now I won't tell you again, take your seat Mr Uzumaki."

Naruto looks like he's just been told he has to be castrated to keep on living and for a moment, it seems like he's honestly going to fight Kakashi on this but at the last second, he thinks better of it and stomps along the rows of the classroom, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like: 'tight ass' as he throws himself unceremoniously into the seat beside me.

As Kakashi begins the first roll call of the year and starts explaining a few administrative things, I fix Naruto with a cold gaze and he meets this with a heated scowl.

"What the hell are you looking at?"

There are numerous things I could say to discourage further disruption and to get the wheels turning to put an end to this rivalry he's deluded himself into having with me but I just can't help myself. Call it temporary insanity, call it an accumulation of the frustrations the little things of the day have brought on but I smirk again, leaning back in my chair in a completely uncharacteristic way, showing my superiority.

"An eye sore," I hiss venomously, making sure that even someone as mentally challenged as Naruto gets the full cruel intent of those words.

Yes I know, I'm goading him. It goes against all pre-conceived notions that I don't want anything to do with my classmates so sue me.

Sometimes, when you're having a bad life, you have to appreciate the little things. Pissing off Uzumaki Naruto was always something I took a little pleasure in. No-one gets riled the same way he does, even now.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto blurts out, leaning across his desk so he can grab onto my collar, his other hand wound back in a blatant fist. The sea in his eyes is tempestuous as he regards me, disrupted by the storm of his anger. His teeth are clenched and bared so he almost looks like a wild animal.

This sort of behaviour specifically won't help him win any friends.

They all, all of them, treat him like some sort of rabid vermin. This kind of thing only confirms his lack of civility.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see some of them recoiling from this behaviour, sheet white or otherwise completely dumbstruck that someone can act so outrageously to a little taunt. I make a point of taking it all in my stride, fixing him with a thoroughly unimpressed expression as Kakashi blows his top.

"Uzumaki Naruto, sit down and shut up!" he barks out, making the frantic storm in Naruto's eyes die down until there is only clear blue once more. Without letting go of my collar, he pulls the kind of face that anyone would make whilst getting scolded and tilts his head so that Kakashi is in his line of vision. When he sees the look in Kakashi's eyes, he chances a small half grin and finally lets go, shifting back until he's sitting properly on his own chair once more.

As soon as it's clear that Naruto isn't going to be trying to beat me up any time soon, a couple of rippling snickers start spreading across the classroom until nearly everyone is trying to keep a straight face.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Kakashi says, still authoritative. "I would appreciate it if you would make an effort not to taunt Naruto on his first day back, am I clear?"

Initiating Uchiha Death Glare Mach 2.

This time Kakashi's right eyebrow twitches and I am triumphant.

"Yes sir," I say simply, pleased enough that I was able to dent Kakashi's unflappable demeanour that I don't mind relenting in this fight.

Kakashi nods and then waves his hand as the bell goes, signalling the end of form period. I make a point of packing up as speedily as possible, ignoring the others as they round on Naruto for the first verbal pounding of what is looking to be a very long school year.

As I stride brusquely forward, I can just make out the faint clap of flesh hitting flesh as Sakura hits Naruto upside the head, proclaiming angrily:

"Why the hell do you have to make Sasuke's life miserable you loser?"

Yeah…because it's just Naruto that makes my life miserable.

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_Yay - first chapter el finito! (does little dance). If you made it this far, enjoyed it and have a little time to spare, please do drop a review. I'd love to hear from you._


	2. Chemically Unbalanced

_AN: Checked this once but I have an awful feeling that I just fell into reading it without checking for mistakes half way through…apologies if you find things._

_A huge thank you to everybody that reviewed last chapter!_

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**2: Chemically Unbalanced**

I have to suppress a disgusted look as Naruto drops down next to me in Chemistry once more, fixing me with an openly inappropriate snarl. The top button of his shirt has come undone since this morning and in light of the atrociously warm weather, he's rolled up his sleeves to reveal the tan skin of his arms. I make a point of straightening my own pristinely white shirt, irked that his appearance is so unruly but unable to pinpoint why this should bother me.

"I can't believe you managed to get me in trouble already bastard," he hisses out of the corner of his mouth, a pout forming on his lips as he recalls this morning's disastrous form room episode. "I've only been back for 5 minutes, why the hell do you hate me so much?"

"Tch, ultimate moron," I respond fluidly, the fall back response I would have used to one of Naruto's particularly irksome comments back in year 8. I am purposefully avoiding picking up on his own initiation of the topic of where the hell he's been these last 3 years.

Because I don't care.

"Bastard," he feels the need to re-iterate and I'm forced to grind my teeth to stop myself from doing something I might regret as our teacher for this year enters the room, on time unlike Kakashi.

Our attention is directed towards the front of the room where our newest teacher is writing something on the board in silence and I can't help but suppress a shudder as I watch him moving, his hand drawing with expert, slip-streamed grace. He shuffles himself from side to side as he works, his feet moving in perfect time with each other to create a never-ending series of perfectly calculated fluid movements and the effect is almost like watching a snake waiting to strike.

When he eventually turns to face the class, I'm reminded even more of a snake. He has pale skin, a long face, a wide smile and eyes such a light shade of brown they almost look yellow. Automatically, they fix on me and he licks his lips with a long, wayward tongue. A strand of heavy black hair falls over his face and he tucks it behind his ear on a reflex.

"Good morning students. My name is Professor Orochimaru," he says in a voice like smoke, unnervingly husky and light. The voice fits his appearance, disconcertingly creepy.

It's been such a long time since I've sat next to someone in class that Naruto's stiffening frame beside me pulls me out of the staring match I'm starting to have with this new teacher, my eyes flicking to his position on the seat next to me where he's being uncharacteristically quiet. I guess he has been away for a while, maybe he cultivated a more studious approach to school while he was wherever he was.

Thank God for small miracles if that's the case.

Professor Orochimaru moves along the desks, his eyes still fixed on me as he slides forward. No one makes a sound, the atmosphere in this classroom is oppressive.

"I do not particularly care for preconceptions cultivated based on the difficulty of last year's work," Orochimaru begins, grinding us down from the get go, showing he's a no nonsense kind of teacher. I doubt anyone would dare to slack off in his class anyway, judging by the expressions on the various faces of my classmates, they don't want to be alone in a room with him anymore than I do should they get caught and receive a detention.

"I will tell you now that working at 6th form level is a much more challenging prospect and some of you will struggle."

His eyes move from mine to Naruto beside me and I wonder if he's just saying that some of us will struggle for Naruto's benefit. Aside from being the most hated guy in school, Naruto was also pretty famous for being the biggest dunce back in the day. If it was academic, Naruto was sure to have trouble understanding and sure enough, even though he's quiet, he gulps as Professor Orochimaru confirms that some people will be struggling, the bulge of his Adam's apple falling and rising comically.

"With that in mind, you should all be prepared to listen acutely to everything I say with the intent to make notes. The final exams this year will account for 70% of your final grade, the coursework completed throughout the year will accumulate and account for 30% of your grade. Any questions so far?"

A deafening silence falls over us like a black cloud as Professor Orochimaru waits for someone to ask a question and absolutely no-one dares to put up their hand. He waits for just a little too long before turning back to the board with a brief, flickering smile and gesturing with his too pale hand to the diagram that he's drawn there.

"Electrolysis," he snaps, his eyes flashing electric yellow for a fraction of a second.

"What would happen if I was to pass a current of electricity through a copper chloride solution?" he asks and his eyes pass slowly along the line of students, resting on the one person that probably doesn't know the answer in this class.

I can practically hear the idiot's thoughts as he sits next to me, begging some deity that he's not the one that has to answer first.

Clearly he's having a worse day than I am today.

"U-zu-ma-ki Na-ru-to," Professor Orochimaru recites, seeming to take pleasure from sounding out the syllables of Naruto's name.

The class stills, a sudden sea of thirty statues.

Normally in a situation like this, people tend to turn towards the victim, watching the decimation of their soul like someone might play witness to a car crash, it's unavoidable, human nature to watch each other suffer, I know this more than anyone and yet this time, the class stays resolutely facing the front, all of them watching the twisted face of our newest teacher as he regards Naruto through victorious eyes.

"Uh…" Naruto begins, breaking the silence with a faltering voice as he thinks about it, staring resolutely at the board in front of us. I can see the cogs of his mind turning as he tries to work out the answer and in this particular class, with this particularly sadistic teacher, it's painful to watch.

"An answer sometime today would be nice," Orochimaru comments idly, staring Naruto down.

Naruto simply glares at him, his eyes radiating underlying ire. I wonder if Orochimaru's goal with this exercise is to make his student flustered. Naruto was never the type to be shot down easily.

"You're just gonna have to wait a moment," Naruto retorts evenly. "I have to work it out."

And it's like a light has been switched on for the rest of the class.

30 statues seem to wake up from whatever spell it was that kept them immobile, each of them shuffling, blinking, a few of them whispering to their neighbour about Naruto's blatant disrespect for authority. Professor Orochimaru takes a respite from his relentless staring to take in the reactions of the rest of the class, his mouth turning down at the corners as he realises the air of fear is starting to disperse.

He's losing the complete control he had a moment ago over his students.

"Uzumaki," he begins quietly, though it's not like he needs to have a loud voice to command attention. The people that had chanced a quickly hissed comment immediately clam up to watch the proceedings.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow you the time to work out this relatively simple answer. If you are unable to answer this question off of the bat then you are technically not at a high enough level to be in this class. Frankly, given the grades we have on record for you in year 8, I'm surprised you even made it to 6th form education."

This comment is met with stunned silence.

Even I can feel my normally stoic expression giving way to mild surprise.

I don't think I've ever heard a teacher be so disheartening before, so out-rightly rude to a pupil. I guess if you don't have the parents to file a complaint, it doesn't matter how you're treated.

I wonder if this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back, as the saying goes, my eyes twitching over my shoulder to Naruto despite myself, expecting to see a broken expression - a mortification that's sure to follow him for the rest of the school year.

But…

"Heh, if that's the case _sir, _you need to get some up to date records coz here I am."

I can almost feel my head turning towards him so I can take in the full dynamic visual of the expression on his face right now. He's grinning, that much is clear, in a completely self confident, defiant way that just screams of boisterous arrogance. His eyes are wide and alight with the adrenaline rush of rebelliousness, his hands are crossed against his chest, like he's trying to tell the professor he doesn't particularly care about such a cutting comment, brushing it off as irrelevant.

It is a brash, foolhardy statement of body language and back talk.

So very much like Naruto and so very much like an idiot.

"Being deliberately argumentative," Professor Orochimaru says in a precisely cool voice, his lips quirking up once more. "Will not be tolerated in my class. You have just earned yourself a detention Uzumaki after school with me today and I'd be careful, if I were you, about how many of those you dare to accumulate on your first day back if you're hoping to make a good impression."

This time, Naruto doesn't say anything back but his arms tighten over his chest, cutting into his white school shirt. His face is tinted red as he fumes beside me, practically vibrating with rage.

"Nara, answer the question," Professor Orochimaru snaps when he's sure that Naruto's done for now and Shikamaru doesn't hesitate to give the right answer, pouring in only the necessary detail to get this insane teacher off of his back.

The rest of the lesson continues in a similar vein with Orochimaru throwing out various high level questions from last year, most of the time picking on Naruto to answer them, sickeningly gleeful every time Naruto fails to produce the right answer. If the idiot ever had a chance at redeeming his previous status as the moron of the school, Orochimaru has made sure that small hope is dead and buried by the end of this lesson.

As the bell rings and Orochimaru gives us the first homework of the year, Naruto makes quite a show of packing up loudly and storming forward, slamming the door closed behind him as he high tails it out there without even a quip at me for being slow to pack up or whatever it is he likes to pretend to be better at than me.

The rest of the class follows at a human pace and I dig the schedule out of my satchel, glancing down to see that I have Biology next with Jiraiya. As I make my way forward, sauntering past Professor Orochimaru's desk, I feel a sort of distortion on the air, like the feel of skin getting too close and automatically flinch back a bit, turning to face the professor who has a cruel smirk in place on his face.

"Mr Uchiha, I would like a word with you before you leave," he says, his voice low and rich, somewhat sensual. A fleeting feeling wriggles through my system as I nod and step out of the way of the others but I keep my mask of indifference in place. Suigetsu throws me a look of alarm as he leaves but I just raise my shoulders ever so slightly in a half shrug.

Out of all the people in class, there are only two people that I can stand for an extended amount of time, one of them being Suigetsu who is able to read what sort of mood I'm in quite uncannily and reacts accordingly, leaving me alone when I really feel like being alone and providing a sort of human shield from those that might approach me if I just want to make it through the school day without too much interaction. The other is Jugo, a student from the year above who appreciates silence and also takes self defence. The two of us can communicate through 'types of silence' as Suigetsu has affectionately dubbed it.

People could learn a lot from watching Jugo.

An eerie quiet falls over the empty classroom as the last of the students leave and door clicks shut. Orochimaru observes me through those flashing eyes with a look bordering on pleased though I've done nothing to merit this man's approval. I wonder vaguely if he's going to try something sexual, the look he's giving me is not far from the expressions on the faces of the fan girls that tend to try and follow me round and I make a point of fixing him with a defiant expression.

"Well what is it?" I snap impatiently, uncaring that I sound disrespectful.

I'm expecting Professor Orochimaru's expression to falter, not to widen. His eyes spark jovially and he opens his mouth to run a pointed tongue over his bottom lip. The action has me suppressing a shudder.

"If you kept me back so you could have a staring contest with me, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you sir," I say stiffly, shifting so my feet are pointing towards the door. "I have more important things to be getting on with."

Orochimaru doesn't speak until I'm half way towards the door, my shoes making an unpleasant clacking sound as I stalk forward.

What he says, though, steals my breath and makes me freeze in place.

My heart thuds violently in my ears.

"Itachi Uchiha."

_Itachi Uchiha._

_Something's wrong, there's a weird smell permeating the usual aromas that I associate with home, a vague metallic taint that seems to have spread through the whole house as I come home from school, dropping my book bag in the entrance way as quietly as possible. Instinct is telling me not to make as much noise as usual, that there is something inherently bad about the way my parents won't answer my usual greeting._

_Itachi Uchiha._

_My hands are shaking as they fall on the banister of the stairwell, my feet fall silent on the soft carpet as I ascend to see…_

_To see…_

_My mother's dark hair strewn across the floor like black tendrils, her face open and lax and pale and-father with his eyes wide in surprise, a dark trail running from the corner of his mouth to his chin. Both of them have had their necks-NO NO NO NO NO-Itachi standing over them with that mask of indiffere-they're dead, dead, dead, dead and Itachi's hands are covered in-_

_"Foolish little brother."_

My breath is coming thick and fast, rasping. My hands are clenched beside me. For a moment, I'm forced to focus on controlling myself, irritated beyond measure when tiny tremors run through my frame like static pulses. When I'm sure I'm in full control of myself, I turn smartly to face Orochimaru who honestly looks like Christmas has come early.

"What do you know of my brother?" I ask in a dark, sure voice, moving a pace back towards him.

Orochimaru takes his time replying, leaning forward on his desk so his fingers interlace, creating a steeple for him to rest his white cheek on if he so wishes. Long black tresses fall forward to partly cover one of his eyes.

"I have information that I know you will be interested in Mr Uchiha," Orochimaru tells me calmly. "I am well aware of your mission for revenge."

Over the years since the incident, I have told only a handful of people my true goal, the reason that I never went through with the suicide that occasionally crossed my mind after my parent's death.

Revenge.

At first, the people I told tried to help me let go of this goal, my hatred which is why I still have to report to a councillor every Monday and Friday after school.

Needless to say, I didn't let it go. How could I let go of the only thing keeping me alive?

"What do you know?" I repeat in a demanding tone, losing patience.

Orochimaru simply shakes his head, closing his eyes to savour this moment, the power he has over me.

The damn snake.

"Oh no Mr Uchiha, I can't just give you the information, you're going to have to earn it."

A snarl tugs at my lips, my eyes heat in wretched anger. It takes all of my impressive self control not to march forward and punch that smug smile off of his face, to beat him until he's spilling all the information I will ever need.

My brother.

_He knows my brother, I could go after him now._

No, I'm not ready. I haven't completed my self defence course, I haven't determined every possibility, haven't factored in how much he would have grown and matured over the years. I wasn't expecting to encounter him until I'd completed my studies, until I'd been a part of the police force for a number of years, until I had the necessary know-how to find him.

I'm not ready.

But if this freak-show of a professor has information pertaining to his current whereabouts, I can be.

"Where is he?" I growl out, baring my teeth in a show of barely suppressed emotion, something most unlike me.

Orochimaru clucks derisively and wags a finger at me. Oh what I wouldn't give to be able to bite it off.

"Patience, Uchiha, is a virtue. The purpose of today's little talk was to get your attention which I've obviously succeeded in doing. Now I suggest you go to your next class and focus on calming yourself. We wouldn't want you to get expelled through doing something regretful because your anger was too much to handle now would we?"

For just a fraction of a second, I see nothing but red, like the world has been bathed in a hostile, sanguine taint but as I breathe in through my nose and hold the air in my lungs, the haze dissipates and I'm able to control the growing, molten ball of anger sitting inside me.

Orochimaru is watching me with far too sharp eyes, he nods his approval as I visibly calm, my shoulders sinking slightly as I face him.

"We will talk again when I feel you are ready. In the meantime, if you try to go to the authorities about this, then I will not hesitate to disappear and you will lose this fragile connection to your…loose cannon of a brother. Do you understand?"

The fury is trying to build back up inside me, clawing at my insides as I fight to control it but I nod stiffly. As if he needed to tell me that, I'm not Uzumaki fucking Naruto, I don't need to be spoon fed.

"Good, don't forget to hand in your homework next lesson. I will expect nothing but top marks from you Uchiha," he finishes, as though we've simply been discussing my mundane school work rather than a topic that could literally mean life or death.

His eyes avert back to the desk to show that the conversation is over and it takes me a moment to spur my burning limbs into action, pivoting on my heel and walking with brisk steps to the door.

I make a point of slamming it shut behind me and try to block out the sounds of Orochimaru's callous laughter as it follows me down the hall.

* * *

_Ever had one of those teachers that just really hates you? (shudder)_


	3. Feint

_AN: Apologies for the late update – things got a bit hectic last week because we're still moving around and whatnot plus it's my birthday this week so no free weekend to fool around with fics unfortunately._

_Thanks to everyone that has read, reviewed or generally enjoyed this story so far!_

* * *

**3: Feint**

The administrators of the school are obviously slightly more adept this year, pushing P.E to the end of the 6th form schedule probably so students can let off some steam.

I certainly need to let off some steam.

All I could think about through Biology was Orochimaru and what he had told me. Even Naruto's constant ribbing couldn't get me out of my funk and he was eventually forced to give up to find some other poor sap to irritate. The words just kept swimming through my head, overlapping with what Jiraiya was telling us about the schedule for this year and drowning his information out completely.

_I have information that I know you will be interested in._

I'm not sure what I should be feeling, excited? Full of the invigorating vengeful spirit? Afraid? No…not afraid, anything but afraid. I don't want to show fear in front of him or anyone else ever again. I never again want to be rendered so helpless.

I wonder if he's in town, close. Will he seek me out? Should I be trying to think of places I can escape to so I don't allow any harm to come to Kakashi? No…I don't think my brother would hurt Kakashi, like me, he's not particularly interested in those he deems insignificant. Though Kakashi was Obito's friend and thus loosely linked with our family in the beginning, Obito was always something of a black sheep and no-one particularly cared what sort of people he chose to associate with.

The locker room is packed by the time I trudge in and start stripping off, slipping my bag down next to a scruffy looking satchel with a fox key ring hanging down from the zip at the top. I blink at it disdainfully.

Foxes are irritating creatures, far too furry and innocent looking for the amount of trouble they cause.

Carefully, I fold up my school shirt and place it next to my bag, reaching into my P.E kit to pull out my usual sports shirt, a thin grey vest that fits over my slim torso like a second skin. Briefly, I glance at my arms, examining the growing muscle, wondering when I will be considered at optimum fitness.

"Oi, are you stalking me bastard?"

I groan inwardly.

After everything that's happened today, I was finally starting to feel calm, the ball of erratic rage in my stomach after hearing Orochimaru's triumphant speech just starting to lose its jagged edge but Naruto's voice cuts into me like a knife wound and I turn to fix him with the deadliest look I can manage.

"Surely," I say, in a voice that sounds murderous, even to my ears. "You are the one that is 'stalking' me. You've been the one to try and initiate contact all day."

My eyebrows stay firmly fixed where they are as I properly regard him standing proudly before me in nothing but a pair of garish orange boxers. I refuse to admit that he may have surprised me with being so completely un-modest but then this is Naruto we're talking about. Naruto who has the social awareness of a flea.

He gives me an odd look as he stalks forward, his legs slightly shorter than mine so his pacing seems off to me. My eyes slip down to his chest which is slightly broader than mine and his stomach which is lined with careful toning. Frowning, I compare his physique to my own, assessing what I can deduce of his physical fitness and the way his body appears to be developing as he grows. Naruto was a runty specimen back in year 8 before he left and he definitely still looks a little undernourished, his ribs sticking out slightly under tight skin as he moves at a certain angle but if anything, it's sort of given him this survivor look.

The expression on my face deepens into a warning as he pauses in front of me, just shy of my personal bubble. The tempestuous sea in his eyes is back though the smirk slowly growing on his face alerts me to the fact that it's not motivated by irrational anger this time. If anything, he looks victorious.

I resist the urge to wipe that look off of his face with a well placed elbow to the gut.

Bet he wouldn't see that coming, the idiot.

"I think you'll find that you put your stupid bag down next to mine asshole," Naruto says, picking up the rough satchel with the fox key ring. "Aw, was the whole hour at lunch without me too much to handle for you?"

Fury licks through my system like an electric pulse and before I know it, I'm snarling, crouching into a battle ready stance as though Naruto's verbal attacks are physical. Normally, a low brow taunt like this wouldn't get me so riled but I can't help it today, I'm still far too on edge.

"If I'd known it was yours I obviously would have avoided it at all costs dead last," I grind out as Naruto naturally reacts to my open display of aggression, dropping down himself into a defensive posture that surprises me.

It's a good posture and one that's obviously been well practiced.

Really, what _has _he been doing for the last 3 years?

No, I don't care.

The two of us stare each other down, making mental calculations (though it may just be me considering who I'm up against) about how to proceed. The only indication I have that Naruto is about to move is a slight change in facial expression and then he's darting forward.

I let a small smile tug at my lips as I assess his openings.

This has been building up all day.

Finally, I'm going to put this moron in his place.

Fortifying myself, I let my hand jab out to his side, curling my fingers inward tightly so only the first knuckle joints are exposed. Over the summer, my self defence teacher taught me that using these knuckles to form a fist instead of forming your average fist was far more effective when it came to causing damage and I've been itching to test this theory but at the last moment, someone grabs Naruto around the middle and my knuckles brush air where his stomach was only a few seconds earlier.

I can feel the lingering warmth of his skin near my hand and stumble as my attack misfires.

By the time I've righted myself, a small gathering of the guys in the locker room has formed around Naruto who is struggling in the grasp of none other than Jugo.

As if on cue, just as Naruto is starting to yell out some seriously creative profanities in my general direction, our P.E teacher bursts through the door.

"What is all this ruckus?"

All eyes turn to our P.E teacher, the overly flamboyant weirdo Maito Gai. Usually his dynamic face is set into an overly energetic expression but at the moment, his ridiculously large eyebrows are furrowed and he has a spark of genuine irritation in his eye.

Unsurprisingly, Mr Maito's star student steps forward determinedly.

"Naruto and Sasuke were about to have a fight," Lee informs him smartly, his odd shaped eyes gleaming as he watches his favourite teacher evaluate the scene.

I'm no fool in these situations and I have no desire to stay behind after school hours when I have a hard enough time making it through the regular school day. Relaxing my stance instantly and re-arranging my features back into their usual indifference, I throw a withering look at Naruto who only seems to get more heated.

"Sasuke you slimy-

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Mr Maito's voice slices through Naruto's insult, echoing through the silent locker room.

"Back for only a single day and already causing trouble?"

Mr Maito's eyes are suddenly full of malignant intent and despite my preferred stoic demeanour, I wince, remembering a prank that Naruto pulled in his last year on Mr Maito when he was given a particularly unpleasant detention. The story goes that Naruto had finished his detention and was on the way to inform Mr Maito who was using the shower in the boy's locker room after practice with the Athletics Squad. Upon finding his teacher indisposed in the shower, Naruto thought it might be a good idea to steal the one piece work out suit that Mr Maito prefers to wear and make a flag to wave over the field at the cheerleader's practice which went on until later in the evening. The result of this prank was an enraged Mr Maito in rather tight white briefs chasing Naruto around the netball pitch while the cheerleaders looked on shrieking about their virgin eyes.

And Naruto wonders why he has a reputation for being the biggest dunce in the school.

It's all so completely moronic.

"Tch, dead last," I mutter out of the corner of my mouth as the others start to file out into the gym to await instruction, provoking another string of unintelligible cursing from Naruto and another violent bucking fit in Jugo's unbreakable hold.

"Uchiha, you stay," Mr Maito barks angrily, his eyes boring into mine.

I give him a condescending look, pausing in the doorway as Suigetsu approaches me from behind, his expression painful.

"Sir, Sasuke was provoked. Naruto was the one that initiated every-

"I'm well aware of their patterns Suigetsu," Mr Maito insists, waving him away. Suigetsu gives me an apologetic look as he jogs outside to join the others. As the door to the locker room opens, I can already hear the outrage as word gets around about what happened. This is not going to look good for Naruto.

Not that I care in the slightest.

"Care to explain what happened?" Mr Maito asks stiffly as Jugo releases a limp Naruto and lumbers out to join the others. Though he's in the year above, he sometimes comes down to help out the P.E guys when we're doing martial arts if he has a free period. I'm glad we're not going to be doing something team sport based today. After everything that's happened, I'm not feeling particularly co-operative, I'd much prefer to beat the shit out of something.

Considering that it was me that turned this into something serious, I'm a little surprised when Naruto refuses to rat me out, his dark blue eyes firmly fixed on the fox dangling from his satchel as he presses his lips firmly together. As imperceptibly as I can, I angle my head, trying to read his expression.

What does he think he'll have over me if he protects me?

I refuse to owe him anything.

After Mr Maito is met with the wall of silence for a good 5 minutes, he sighs rather melodramatically and runs a smooth thumb over his obnoxiously large eyebrows.

"Listen boys, I understand that a little rough housing is all a part of being affected by the throes of youth-

Whatever they are.

"But I must insist that you do not engage in fighting on school property."

"Ne, Mr Maito, aren't we doing martial arts today? Isn't that fighting?" Naruto asks.

If it had been anyone else, I would have said that was a purposefully sarcastic question and Mr Maito seems to think so too for a fraction of a second, his expression darkening but when he see the obviously stupid expression of curiosity on the idiot's face, he seems somewhat drained.

"Controlled fighting with no malice and with the supervision of a teacher is different Uzumaki. There is no intent to cause injury. Now, for this altercation, I'm going to be forced to give you both a deten-

"I've already got one for today," Naruto interrupts him grumpily, crossing his hands over his bare chest and shifting his weight onto one foot. In the light coming in through the high set windows, the bruises under his eyes look a lot darker. He almost looks like the damn pyscho everyone seems to treat him as.

Mr Maito smoothes his thumb over his eyebrows once more.

"Fine, then you can stay behind with me tomorrow, both of you can. For now, just get out there and warm up. Jugo will tell you what to do."

Both Naruto and I nod before Naruto turns back to his P.E kit to finish getting dressed. I eye him briefly, wondering if I could practice my revenge on this idiot before facing Itachi, if Orochimaru ever actually deems it fit to impart his wisdom, before gliding forward, pushing the door to and making my way to the gym.

When I saunter through the double doors, Jugo has already got everyone doing warm up stretches and some of the girls, Ino and Sakura included, abandon what they were doing to come and check me over.

"Oh Sasuke, did he hurt you?" Sakura asks and I throw her the dirtiest look in my arsenal, making her cringe instinctively.

As if the moron could ever lay a hand on me.

Ino seems to pick up this grievous error in judgement, adding to my defined aggravation by throwing her own look of ire at her friend.

"_Naruto _couldn't hurt _Sasuke_!" she assures Sakura bluntly and for one mad instant, I consider putting Ino on the 'people I can tolerate for more than a few minutes' list but then she spoils it by adding:

"Sasuke's much too cool to let Naruto punch him, ne Sasuke?"

Call me sexist if you will, but I have never met a girl who is not a simpering retard. This is not including the principle of our school, Head Mistress Tsunade but then she's a force entirely unto herself.

"Shut up," I comment by the way of a verbal response to this situation and leave to stand with Suigetsu before Ino can properly register what I just said.

Suigetsu grins out a greeting as I stand beside him, copying his pose by throwing one arm up over my head and stretching.

"Still the ladies man I see."

"It's infuriating," I tell him, not missing the envious looks being thrown at me from some of the other boys in the class. Believe me, if I could deflect their attention elsewhere I would.

A few minutes later, Naruto appears in a plain black shirt and loose fitting trousers, still looking somewhat miffed as he joins the others. Those nearest to him take a few very obvious steps away, throwing disgusted looks at him that he hardly seems to notice.

When Maito Gai appears, we still, watching as Jugo moves to stand beside him.

"Alright boys and girls," Mr Maito begins. "In the spirit of the start of a brand new school year and in the spirit of enjoying your youth, I think we would all benefit from learning some self defence moves today. Self defence is, after all, designed to help you understand your opponents as much as it is designed to defend your body from attack and I believe we could all stand to get to know each other a little better."

He looks pointedly at both Naruto and I who have naturally gravitated to opposite ends of the hall.

"I'd like to start by finding out what you're all capable of," Mr Maito goes on, his usual energetic face back in place after getting so irritated with our little scuffle in the locker rooms.

"I'd like you to split into pairs according to the register so-

I don't hear much more, my stomach sinking into my shoes.

Okay, I'll admit it, it feels like someone is out to get me today. I have been caught up, like so many before me, in the transient present. This day is no longer irrelevant.

Being Uchiha Sasuke, my name is next to Naruto's in the register.

Is this an oversight on Mr Maito's part?

Or, as I suspect, is this some sort of personal vendetta to get us to communicate?

Naruto and I are never exactly going to be bosom buddies.

When he reads out our names, I can feel Suigetsu's probing eyes on my back and try to keep the usual mask in place, admittedly more difficult than usual given the way things are playing out.

"Oh this is going to be interesting," he says, his eyes full of glee at the thought of getting a show.

I grunt at him hostilely. Even he is getting on my nerves today.

"You can't be serious!" Naruto is shouting over the sounds of students starting to practice their high kicks and punches with the padded garments that ensure impressive thud noises when the attacks themselves are pretty pathetic. Gai is looking completely unsympathetic as Naruto whines.

"I will not tolerate complaints," his voice booms out over the gym and, as the others pause, glaring daggers at Naruto, the blonde retard finally relents, understanding that he shouldn't cause any more trouble for himself today.

Still, he makes a show of his disapproval as he stomps up to face me, inclining his head to the back of the room and biting out:

"Come on pansy," before leading the way.

I huff under my breath, making a mental note not to hold back when we get going. I owe him for the 'pansy' comment as much as I owe him for the locker room.

Eventually, we stand facing each other, aware of Gai's eyes trained on us more than anyone else in the room. There are a set of pads beside us on the ground and I let my lip quirk up in a spurious smile.

"Don't you want some protection idiot?" I ask tauntingly, lowering my centre of gravity and waiting.

"Like I'd need protection from the likes of you bastard," he retorts, dropping down into the stance that he showed me in the locker rooms.

For a long time afterwards, we do nothing but stare at each other. I take in the set of his stance, noticing that it's tighter now he's had time to pre-meditate. His body is taut and beneath the black shirt I can see the strain of his lithe muscles as they prepare for movement. His eyes are sharp; betraying a view to intelligence that just isn't there, his lip is set in a thin line of concentration.

I frown as I watch his facial muscles twitch slightly and his eyes flash.

Is he…is he honestly _thinking _about this?

If it was anyone else, I could believe that they were strategising about how to proceed but Naruto is the kind of guy to fly by the seat of his pants.

Or am I basing my assumptions too much on how he was in year 8?

I don't get any more time to think about it. With a tiny flick of the lips into a half smile, Naruto launches forward, stepping purposefully out to the left to throw off my body angle as I follow him before ploughing forward with an upper cut to my stomach. At the last possible moment, I angle my body away from him, dropping onto my outstretched right hand and kicking back, aiming to sweep his legs out from under him.

I make a victorious noise.

This is over.

Except…

At the last second, Naruto springs up, avoiding the sweeping kick entirely and landing sturdily back where he was a second ago, ready to attack again. I make a point of pushing myself up off of the floor and angling my head back as a rounded punch comes flying towards me, grazing my bangs which fly out haphazardly before me.

There's a gasp from someone close by and I realise the people in the class have stopped to watch us putting on a show.

My heart beats a little faster, I hate drawing unwanted attention but Naruto is throwing out a jab to my side and I have to pull back, using the momentum to change tactics and meet Naruto head on, pushing him back with the broad side of my lower arm. There's a thrill of contact as the skin of my arm meets the rough fabric of his shirt and I am surprised to feel the resistance coming from Naruto's body.

He's strong.

Using the momentum as I push him back the same way I did a moment ago, he angles himself forward and performs one of the most graceless moves I've ever seen.

I am loathe to admit that it is quite effective.

In some sort of bizarre show of insanely good luck, Naruto manages to grab one of my shoulders and pull me forward so our heads connect in an undignified head butt. Pain erupts through my forehead and pulses down into my eyes, forcing me to close them shut tight for a few seconds, pulling away and lifting my hands up automatically to examine the damage.

"Ow, what the hell did you do that for?" I yell out, outraged that he managed to damage me in any way after I was so adamant that he wouldn't be able to.

"This _is _a fight isn't it?" Naruto retaliates, answering a question with a question like the ultimate moron he is.

My eyes are streaming with involuntary tears as I struggle to open them, peering at my opponent who is in pretty much the same situation as me, blue eyes hidden as he struggles to regain himself.

I shake my head violently, partially trying to rid myself of the ringing in my ears and partially disbelieving that Naruto would pull a move that damages himself as much as his opponent.

"You really are completely and utterly useless," I comment angrily, recoiling as Naruto's fist parts the air once more where my head had been not seconds before.

"Take that back asshole," Naruto hisses dangerously and a thrill of invigoration runs through me as I catch a glimpse of the fire in his eyes.

This fight is far from over.

I smirk at him, absolutely superior.

No need for him to know that this is the best fight I've had in a long time. At the self defence club I frequent, everyone uses the same precise style, the same movements. Naruto's movements are new, messy and brasher than I'm used to but powerful.

As his foot comes up to connect with my exposed stomach, I realise I haven't felt this…_alive _in a long time…I haven't felt…_anything _…in a long time…

I drop into a standard x block so his foot collides with the broad side of my arms instead, only slightly pushing me back. When he realises that his attack has failed, Naruto breaks the grapple and stands, inviting me to try something with a taunting look on his face.

No need for the taunt.

I prepare myself for a full power attack, readying my hand by moulding it into just the right shape, the first knuckles jutting forward as they were in the locker room. As I steady my breath, I concentrate on putting all the frustrations of the day into this punch, the irritation of finding out Naruto is to accompany me to every lesson this year, the outright trauma associated with what Orochimaru told me after Chemistry today, the anger at the clash I had with Naruto in the locker rooms.

Naruto prepares his defence as I charge forward letting out a battle cry that is entirely unlike me, packing _everything _into this attack.

And then I see it.

A change in his expression so profound that I'm forced to abandon my current attack altogether.

The determination so prominent in those defined features simply drops out of his face, leaving behind nothing but a blank. The eyes alight with wild fire only seconds before, dull. His arms that had been moving to set up something akin to my x block fall limply to his side and as I skid to a halt with my fist literally inches away from his tanned nose, he crumples, falling forward heavily, his eyes closing as he goes.

Automatically, I let go of the punch, the condensed ball of pitted emotions dispersing and instead, I lean forward to catch him, my arms slipping securely under his arm pits, his face hitting my collar bone with a soft thud.

My vision is awash with bright blonde tresses.

I've been blinded by the sun once more.

"Naruto?"

My voice sounds thin and soft, completely unlike the usual sure tenor I use when speaking to people but I've never seen anything like this before. No one has ever just suddenly dropped out on me like this, without explanation.

For one wild, panicked moment, I wonder if he's having a fit of some sort but though I'm not an expert, I'm pretty sure there would be other problems apparent if he was. Maybe he passed out from low blood sugar or something.

His breath tickles my ear as I shift slightly; trying to see through the blinding locks to catch Mr Maito's attention. It's low and steady, regular, unlike my heart beat.

He's warm.

"Uchiha Sasuke, what have you done?" Mr Maito's voice asks from somewhere above me and I blow a strand of Naruto's hair out of my face as his weight is taken from me, watching with wide eyes as they lay him out in the recovery position.

"I didn't do anything," I say and my voice is hollow but sure once more. "I moved to punch him but he collapsed before it could connect."

Gai gives me an appraising look, obviously judging whether or not I'm lying to avoid trouble but what he sees in my face obviously placates him. He turns his attention fully on Naruto, checking his vitals and whatnot whilst the rest of the class looks on in an awkward hush.

However much the student body dislikes Naruto, I don't think they'd ever wish true debilitation on him.

After checking that his airways are clear and the steady rhythm of his breathing, Gai leans forward, pressing an ear to his chest, checking the timed beats of his heart. After what seems like an eternity, he sits back on his hunches, a relieved look on his face.

I glare at him expectantly.

If I have Naruto's blood on my hands, even though whatever just happened was not instigated by me at all, then there will be all hell to pay, probably by Naruto, whenever the hell he wakes up.

"Looks like he just passed out," Mr Maito says, confirming my suspicions. "Probably over-exertion on his first day back."

Tch, I could have told him that.

Gai glances up at Jugo who is standing behind him with a vaguely worried frown in place. Jugo doesn't particularly enjoy watching others suffer.

"Jugo, can you take him to the medical room to recover? And can you inform me the moment he wakes up?"

Jugo fixes Gai with a slow gaze, his hazel eyes full of regret.

"I have to go to my night classes this evening so I need to be out of here quite fast," he says, his eyes flicking back to Naruto's blank face.

"I'll stay with him."

I blink as the words leave my mouth. Where the hell did that come from? Is it too late to take them back?

Gai glances at me suspiciously, his lips turned down at the corners.

"If this is a bid to get out of trouble Uchiha-

"It's not," I say, cutting him off because it's not a bid to get out of trouble, I honestly couldn't say what it is.

"Hm…"

Gai glances round at the others who are gradually getting back to what they're doing now that it's been confirmed that Naruto's life isn't in danger. He knows as well as I do that he won't get any other volunteers.

"Alright Uchiha, inform me the moment he awakens, understand?"

"Yes sir," I say as Jugo scoops him up. He looks impossibly small in Jugo's large arms and I'm forced to wonder how much of Naruto's perceived stature is just his boisterous personality. As I leave the gym, walking calmly towards the exit, I catch sight of Suigetsu's grin out of my peripheral vision.

"Ne, Sasuke, why on Earth did you catch him?" he asks, chuckling openly at the thought of Naruto face planting in the middle of our fight.

I shrug indifferently, throwing my reply over my shoulder as we leave.

"I don't know, my body just moved on its own."

* * *

_Comments, queries, little doodles of doom? Why not review?_

_This chapter has received the 'whole chapter in one scene' award. First time ever peeps XD_


	4. Why Would You Stay?

_AN: Hey ho, sorry for the wait for this chapter! I've been busy with 'The Love Drug' and various Christmas bumph. Adjusting schedule to once every 2 weeks or so because that seems to be something I can stick to._

_Love for everyone that reviewed and/or faved or just read this story and enjoyed. _

* * *

**4: Why Would You Stay?**

Jugo puts Naruto down gently on the bed and the idiot mumbles something inaudible as the school nurse Shizune gives him another once over, a more thorough check up than the one Mr Maito gave him. Her eyes follow me curiously as she listens to his heart beat and briefly checks his temperature.

I make sure to look as stand-offish as possible, like I was ordered here rather than volunteering myself to come along.

I really don't know what that was about but whatever. This day's been taxing enough without confusion over my own random acts of charity added into the mix. With a glance at the time, Jugo nods apologetically and hurries off.

Shizune watches the door to the medical room as it snaps shut.

"I'm not sure how long he'll be out," she tells me, giving me a sympathetic look.

I feel like glaring at her but can't pull it off for some reason, my eyes are static as I regard her, my expression numb on my face.

"If he doesn't wake up in the next half an hour, I'll wake the idiot up myself," I say but my voice is lacking conviction. Shizune seems to pick up on this and simply nods before moving away to fill out the necessary paperwork for this little incident.

"I'll be just down the hall if you need anything," she says in a gentle voice before disappearing after Jugo.

Silence reigns down between us.

I stare at the moron's face.

3 years…

He really has been gone for 3 years and yet, with the way things have gone today, it hardly feels like he's been away at all. He's treated me exactly the same as he always has despite not knowing how things might have changed over the time he's been away, like he just expects to fit neatly into the same routine with no awkwardness at all.

I guess that's why he's an idiot.

The sun is just starting to lick beneath the window and the little medical room is bathed in a sea of harsh orange light. Shadows dance across Naruto's face making the bruises beneath his eyes more prominent than ever. His breath is low and heavy as he sleeps.

Perhaps the bruises beneath his eyes are an indication as to how truly nervous he was about coming back today, though he shrugged it off in his usual fashion.

Maybe I should have gone a little easier on him.

There's a shift in the atmosphere and Naruto's breath hitches for a moment. A little furrow pulls at his brows and his head turns slightly so he's facing in my direction. A lock of that obnoxious blonde hair falls over his closed eye and he flinches away from the sensation subconsciously.

On impulse, I reach over to brush the irritation from his face but before the tip of my finger can touch the first strand, I freeze in place.

_What the hell am I doing?_

For what feels like centuries, I'm frozen in this awkward half leant forward position, my fingers outstretched towards Naruto's face which has become lax once more in the dying light. My mind is suddenly working at a hundred miles per hour, questions about my over-familiar behaviour and this totally aberrant reaction to Naruto's situation collide to create small synaptic explosions until all coherence is lost.

What the hell am I doing? I don't want to get familiar with _anyone _at this school, let alone this completely spastic _idiot. _I don't care if this retard fainted because he over-exerted himself, I have my own things to worry about. The only reason I'm even sitting here is because…because…

_Because no-one else would._

Naruto's low groan makes me start and my hand snaps back to my side like it's just been burnt, cutting off all further thoughts of discomfort. With every last ounce of dignity I have inside me, I arrange my facial features into an expression of vaguely irked boredom and watch as Naruto's eyes flutter open. When I see his eyes, I can't help but frown.

Although the usual too vivid blue is visible, it's half engulfed by the black of Naruto's dilated pupil and a jolt of anxiety flares to life in my gut.

That's not normal, I should probably call Shizune to check him out but as I start to angle myself towards the doorway, eyes still fixed on Naruto's face, his pupils shrink in the half light to a normal size and his eyebrows rise in surprise as he registers my presence.

"Sasuke…what…" his head turns slightly so he can take in his surroundings and instead of going for Shizune, I lean against the back wall of the medical room, simply observing as he realises what's happened and disperses the disorientation hanging over him. Eventually, the bewildered expression on his face is replaced with an animated look of…regret?

He sits up slowly, shaking his head and closing first one eye and then the other. This odd manoeuvre has clearly been very well practiced and the frown on my face deepens as I try to work it out. Is he testing his own depth perception? Does this happen _often_?

I wait until he feels the need to acknowledge my presence once more, his eyes icy, defensive, like he's just waiting for me to make some crude comment about his weakness or something.

Tch, like I'd give him the satisfaction.

"Why are you here?" he demands and his voice is more hostile than it has been through the rest of the day. Even during the heated moments in the locker room, I've not felt this level of aggression from this retard.

He's really wound up about this.

"Mr Maito needed someone to stay with you and I volunteered because no-one else would," I explain, unremorseful at the reminder of how much people hate him in this school.

Of course, being Naruto, he misinterprets this admission entirely and as his eyes soften, the blue of his irises deepening, I have to fight off the almost uncontrollable urge to strangle him.

"You…volunteered?" he asks and his voice is too vulnerable, too…hopeful.

I don't like this.

I don't like this at all.

It's not like I can suddenly change tack and be his friend here, I really can't.

And it's not like I want to be friends with such a loser anyway. Of all the people that I could choose to form an attachment to, I certainly wouldn't pick someone so tactless, so loud, so much of a liability.

I don't like that he expects anything from me.

My face twists as the rage bubbles inside me, the sting of spite lingers on my tongue as I open my mouth determined to set him straight.

"Yes, I volunteered but that was only because _no-one else would_, weren't you listening idiot?"

For the briefest of instances, distinct hurt flashes across Naruto's sharp features and I feel a pang of misplaced guilt hit me in the gut like one of his punches. But as quickly as it's there, it's gone again and he's fixing me with that same fire-fuelled gaze, his teeth bared slightly in an open challenge.

"Just admit it jerk, you were worried about me," he states and while the inflection in his tone of voice is smug, I can see that his eyes have dulled.

That brief hope that someone might actually give a damn about him has been snuffed out and we're back to our usual exchanges.

"What was that all about anyway?" I ask, expecting that he'll be able to read the subtext of my abrupt change in conversational direction.

Silly Sasuke.

"What was all what about?" he asks me blankly, swinging his legs over the bed and testing his feet gingerly against the floor.

I cringe outwardly. Trying to have a conversation with this dunce is like trying to coax a response from a brick wall.

"Why did you pass out before I managed to land that last hit?" I sound out slowly, glaring at Naruto as he looks up with a guarded expression on his face.

The guarded expression more than genuine curiosity holds me in place as he stares me down, refusing to give me an answer. It's not like I really care that he passed out like that but if he's got some weird medical condition or something and we're gonna fight in future, then I don't particularly want to be held responsible every time he passes out.

I need answers.

Naruto's eyes are defiant when he realises I'm not going to back down here.

"Low blood pressure," he offers in a dark tone.

It's a blatant lie.

And a message for me to back off.

All at once, I realise that I've delved into something deep here whether voluntary or not and suddenly, I honestly couldn't care less about the whole thing. I'm not interested in getting under anyone's skin, no interest in digging up their issues when I've got my own to be getting on with. I know all about how it feels to have someone get into your personal problems when they're uninvited and if I go nosing around Naruto's, Naruto very well might want to come nosing around my own.

I will not have him interfere.

I make a point of fixing him with a pointedly ruthless gaze, making sure that he understands that I know he's lying before rolling my eyes in an exaggerated display and crossing my arms across my chest.

"Whatever," I mutter dismissively.

He throws a full on scowl at me, the wild fire in his eyes cooling until the blue pigment in his iris is lighter than usual, giving an ice-like effect, like the world has suddenly frozen over.

I try my best not to betray anything with my expression, making a point of looking almost bored as he stands, wobbling slightly on legs that obviously don't want to support him yet. I take a breath in to comment on this pathetic display but Naruto seems to catch on to his own condition and shifts himself so his feet are a little wider apart, anchoring himself in a more stable stance.

The action has me frowning again because widening our feet to secure our balance is something we've learnt in self defence. It confirms my suspicions that he's had some formal training, not that I should have doubted this assumption after facing off against him today in P.E. Generally people don't hold their own against me unless they've got some sort of idea how to tackle my pronounced movements.

It also confirms that he's trying to hide the fact that he's struggling after just waking up. Perhaps his comment about low blood pressure wasn't so far off the mark but…

…something's not adding up here.

Hn, it's not my place to care.

The comment that I was about to make changes into a purposeful grunt as I push myself off of the wall and turn to the door. I don't have time to engage him in another exhausting verbal sparring match.

"Huh? Where are you going?" Naruto asks in real curiosity and as I glance back at him, I can't help noticing that the ice in his eyes has completely thawed, the deep blue once again reminding me of the ocean. His body language has changed as well, no longer reflecting any defensiveness. Instead of keeping his arms in front of him and his body angled slightly away from me, he's leaning forward with his arms back, pushing his face out as though he's trying to see something in my expression, like he's going to be able to figure out where I'm going from just looking at my face.

Yeah, good luck there idiot, I've had plenty of practice at appearing blank.

"I'm going to inform Mr Maito that you've woken up and then I'm going home," I tell him punctually, opening the door and stepping over the threshold, not waiting for his response though I can hear him blustering uselessly at my abrupt departure.

And that's it, it's done, I am no longer responsible in any way for the moron's wellbeing. I shouldn't have been burdened with this sense of responsibility anyway as this wasn't particularly my fault but still, I suppose you can't help connecting briefly to someone that has literally crumpled in front of you. It's not something I'm used to and it's unnerved me significantly so as I turn on my heel to start moving, I'm glad to shed this odd connection and return to my usual detached façade.

…Or at least I would be if Naruto doesn't go ahead and ruin it at the last second.

Idiot.

Just as the door is about to click shut, I hear a tiny whispered comment travel through the air between us, re-kindling the unusual emotions that have surfaced over the last half an hour or so following Naruto's initial collapse and I almost double take to make sure I understand what I'm hearing.

"Thank you Sasuke."

* * *

As per the routine, Karin has already set aside a green tea on the little coffee table that sits in her office as I walk in; dropping my school bag at the foot of the armchair I sink down into. She's sitting with her legs crossed on the huge leather swivel chair she likes to pull out from her desk, a note pad already in her hand as she settles down to begin the session. She has the usually disarming smile on her face and her eyes are warm as she watches me pick up the cup and blow gently on the curling steam of the tea. Her eyes seem just a little too big for her slim face through the thick set glasses she wears and I can just pick out the magnification of her mascara through the lenses.

"Good afternoon Sasuke," she says in a low voice as I take my first sip of tea and I nod in acknowledgement of her greeting.

"I take it you had a good weekend," she begins carefully writing down a few things in her note pad. Considering I haven't said anything yet, I have no idea what she could possibly have to write down but then I suppose a psychiatrist's job is to read into more than just what is said. I try not to fall into the trap of thinking about my body posture and what my facial expression is signalling to this trained professional.

Karin has been my shrink since my parents were murdered, something Kakashi was told was a necessity if his guardianship was to be approved. I've been coming here for so long that this office is like a second home but in all the time I've come here, Karin has yet to unearth something that will break me out of my fixation with my brother and what I've sworn to accomplish because of him.

Just like with everything else in my life at the moment, I've made no progress. We simply put on this show for the benefit of the legal system and I go home feeling exactly the same as when I came.

"It was average," I say by the way of a response that's more than just a single word long. In this space, if I resort to my more natural monosyllabic answers, it reflects badly on my record, so I make a point of trying to add detail, even when I can't really.

Karin nods absently, her eyes lingering a little too long on my arm to be comfortable and I chance a glance at it, noticing that the fabric of my shirt is sitting a little weirdly over my bicep. I shift unconsciously and Karin blinks, clearing her throat.

"The new school year started today, right? Are you excited about being in 6th form?"

It's hard to quell the urge to stare at her condescendingly but I manage somehow. What I don't manage is an answer to such an asinine question, why does she insist on trying to engage in small talk? I take another sip of my tea to disperse the awkwardness of the silence hanging over us.

She seems a little flustered as she checks her records, squinting as she has to read something over once or twice, a frown pulling her eyebrows together.

"You have Kakashi as your teacher this year?"

Oh God, she's not honestly going to read into that is she?

"Are you alright with that?"

"I have no problem with him being my home teacher," I tell her, hoping to squash this line of psychological analysis before it goes anywhere irritating. "He's the least of my problems as far as I'm concerned."

"Oh?" Karin utters, gnawing on the conversational bone I've thrown her like a rabid mutt.

"Something troubling you already?"

I briefly entertain myself with the notion of what she would do if I told her about Professor Orochimaru's confession at the end of Chemistry today before brushing this impossible occurrence aside and allowing my expression to darken in mild irritation.

"Not something, some_one,_" I correct idly, comfortable when talking about my disdain for the blonde idiot. "We had the pleasure of receiving Naruto back into our class this year. I told you about him some years ago, the moron who decided that he was my rival, remember?"

Karin's expression is oddly calculating as she thumbs back through my past records in the frighteningly over-stuffed manila folder containing the details of my life. Eventually, she seems to find something, her eyes skimming quickly over some notes she's obviously made.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" She asks, her eyes widening as I nod the affirmative.

The ever so slight presence of fear in her poorly masked expression isn't lost on me and I wonder if her reaction to his name was the same the first time around when I initially mentioned it amongst my peer group at the beginning of high school. I don't particularly recall anything out of the ordinary but then I was younger, less observant back then.

As previously mentioned, Naruto has something of a reputation for being hated. This isn't limited to the confines of Konoha High, somehow the hatred seems to have spread out all over the city and honestly, I haven't really ever been interested in finding out why. I just assumed that it was Naruto's ever-irritating personality and the fact that he's so stupid that made him a target for people's hostility but seeing Karin react like that, I'm wondering for the first time if there's more to it than that.

_Where the hell has that moron been for the last 3 years?_

"Yes, Uzumaki Naruto," I confirm, unable to keep the edge of suspicion out of my voice as I watch her laboured reconstruction of the professional mask, hiding her fear of that name from me.

"He decided to come back to school after 3 years of doing who the hell cares what and he seems to have made it a mission to insure my day was particularly hard," I say, watching Karin's pen working furiously now over her note pad.

"He annoys you more than the others in your class?" Karin asks carefully, gauging my response.

Gods this pisses me off.

"Without question," I respond curtly, privately pleased with myself that although this is a snappish answer, it's still not particularly monosyllabic.

When Karin raises her eyebrows, urging me to elaborate, I have to run my fingers over my temples to stop myself from getting frustrated. I've already lived through the idiot's distractions today, why would reliving them now help me in any way?

"He's louder than the others at school and he can't take a hint," I say. "He gets heated up about the most ridiculous little things, not particularly caring to avoid conflict for a more peaceful existence if someone insults him even a little bit."

"Hm, _that _I can believe," Karin comments with an undertone of grim sincerity as she continues to write in her note pad and my eyes narrow at her. Without knowing anything more about Naruto than what I've told her, she's already treating him exactly the same way as my classmates, like some sort of rabid animal, something dangerous and at the same time disgusting.

I think I might have to admit that this has piqued my curiosity even if it isn't exactly my business - it's like some sort of Naruto hating conspiracy.

"We had a confrontation in the locker room before P.E today," I tell her, remembering the way he stood before me in nothing but those obnoxiously coloured boxers with an expression that boasted a mixture of triumph and disgust as he called me out on putting my P.E stuff down next to his.

Karin's pen stops scratching along the paper and her grip tightens on the plastic, making it creak under the pressure. When she looks up at me over the rim of her glasses, her eyes are far too alert and shimmering with fright. It takes me a moment to adjust to this display and figure out why exactly she's looking at me like that. Will a fight like that put a black mark on my psychological record? Will they take it as a sign that I'm slipping when both Naruto and I just got caught up in rubbing each other the wrong way?

"Are…you alright?" Karin asks carefully, her voice laced with a barely perceptible tremble.

If I had the capability to express surprise like normal people, my eyes would be as round as saucers.

She's dropped the professional air completely, something she's only ever done a handful of times, in favour of reacting with personal concern for my wellbeing.

As if someone like Naruto could do _anything _to me!

Bitter rage bubbles up inside me like the heated liquid of a geyser so even through the usual indomitable mask, I'm baring my teeth and clenching them tightly together in an unmistakable show of antipathy.

"_I'm _fine," I grind out, emphasising the 'I'm' so that it's clear Naruto was the one that got off worse, even if it didn't exactly have anything to do with me.

This subtlety isn't missed by Karin who leans forward in her chair, uncrossing her leg as she goes.

"You managed to beat him in this fight?" she asks, like it's some sort of achievement.

The rage is so strong it almost stings as I bite out a response.

"He passed out on me, probably from the stress of the whole thing. Now I have a question for you," I continue, not waiting for her to comment on this revelation regarding the idiot's stamina. It's not important, not when I've noticed something interesting.

" What exactly do you know about Naruto? It's obvious that he isn't just a name I've mentioned before to you."

Karin winces slightly as she drags up the professional air once more. I know that doctor/patient confidentiality will limit what she's allowed to tell me but she can't exactly deny my accusation. It's plain as day that she knows Naruto. Does he come here too? Is it because of how the guys at school treat him?

"Yes, I know of him," she concedes, eyeing me warily. "He comes here to see one of my colleagues and the two of us have compared notes on the matter."

I'm not entirely sure which part of that admission makes my eyes narrow in revulsion, the fact that Naruto has more or less the same life schedule as I do, the fact that he's being discussed by various shrinks without his knowledge or the disconcerting idea that if Naruto's being discussed then my information has probably been shared out as well.

I make it a personal mission to be outraged about the latter.

"Have you ever asked for advice on my case?" I ask in a dangerous tone, trying to suss her reaction as I watch her.

She blinks quickly and sighs, a line of irritation forming over her brow.

"Sasuke, I'm only one person. I can't exactly sort through the delicate web of your psychology without some additional input so yes, you've been discussed. I'm only trying to he-

"Don't say it," I bark at her as I stand up, slamming the green tea down on the coffee table. Ever since my parents were killed, that's all anyone ever says to me, it's all anyone ever means to do when they inadvertently end up hurting me, betraying me.

It's all good intentions and broken trust.

"I'm done for today," I tell Karin, grabbing my satchel and walking briskly towards the door to her office. "I'll see you on Friday."

She blusters fruitlessly behind me but I've had enough. Nothing good will come of sticking around now so I'm being sensible and have chosen to extract myself until I've calmed down. I storm along the corridors, the proverbial thunder cloud hanging over my head, digging through my bag until I've found my headphones and crank up the volume on my MP3 player.

By the time I've made it outside and walked the 10 minutes to the bus stop, I can feel myself returning to rational thought and take a deep, frustrated breath to help the last of the fury disperse. As the bus pulls up, I step up to pay for my ticket, my thoughts gradually turning away from the small betrayal in Karin's office to the fact that the idiot has made an appearance in the same place.

I can feel my brows knit together as I take my seat and mull on what I've learnt.

He's been somewhat formally trained in combat as evidenced by the display he put on against me in P.E, he has a record at the shrink's office and even Karin, an authority figure, seems to be afraid of him. He collapsed during P.E and then hardly acted panicked when he came to, just ashamed and resigned.

Something is going on with that dead last loser, something that doesn't seem so trivial now and if I'm really going to make it into law enforcement, I should be able to find the truth on the matter.

Even if I don't particularly care…

* * *

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